Paleo Takes 5 - Or Fewer: Healthy Eating was Never Easier with These Delicious 3, 4 and 5 Ingredient Recipes

Cindy Sexton's Paleo Takes 5--Or Fewer has a simple premise: make delicious Paleo meals and buy only 3, 4, or 5 ingredients to make it happen. I was immediately intrigued. I read most of the reviews on this cookbook and knew before I ordered it that most recipes require more than 3, 4, or 5 ingredients to finish the dish. Ms. Sexton considers lots of spices, herbs, and cooking fats to be staples that you already have in your home. I have a fully stocked spice pantry and plenty of paleo friendly cooking fats so I was ready to accept her premise of purchasing a few ingredients to make a meal.There are some winning recipes in this book, no doubt about it. I think the chili and the gingered balsamic date glazed chicken legs are terrific. I was surprised in the best possible way by the prosciutto and fig chicken roll ups. Ms. Sexton has the ability to add real ingenuity to standard fare and shines when she thinks up these "outside the box" recipes.I have a few issues with this book. In a few recipes, I disagree with Ms. Sexton's assessment of what should be a pantry staple. Take for example, the shaved roast beef salad with marinated artichoke hearts. She states it's a 4 ingredient dish where you buy mixed greens, olives, artichoke hearts, and roast beef. Fair enough. But wait. What are the pantry staples? There are two: kimchi and sun-dried tomato and basil vinaigrette (recipe on 202). In no circumstance should the author have included kimchee as something you would already have in your pantry. I love kimchi but it isn't a staple. I flip to 202 to see what I need to whip up the vinaigrette. It's a very nice and simple 9 ingredient vinaigrette that she lists 4 more items you need to get from the grocery store. So for a 4 ingredient recipe, depending on whether you count kimchi as a staple, you need to buy 8 or 9 ingredients. I love to cook, and I favor books from Bon Appetite magazine and Gourmet Magazine. Don't tell me I don't like to cook or that I'm lazy. I merely find the premise of her book misleading in a few instances such as the shredded beef tongue having 16 ingredients and counting a "hot red pepper" as a staple. I also don't count lemons or fresh cilantro as staples. It's fine if you do.I think Ms. Sexton has a lot of potential as a paleo cookbook author. I just think potential buyers should be aware of the way some "staples" are counted. I was impressed by the charts in the back of the book that list vitamin content of ingredients in her recipes, and there are plenty of suggested links to visit for everything from autoimmune disease to paleo recipes to natural skincare and beauty products. Ms. Sexton's enthusiasm for her lifestyle changes is apparent and touching, and the autobiography in the front of the book that tells why she decided to make a lifestyle change is heartfelt. I strongly make the recommendation to examine this book in a brick and mortar store before purchasing.

ok so the timing of this book couldn't be better. After a family wedding and working overtime for a week and a half, I had 2 weeks' worth of CSA veggies to use up. This book arrives in the mail. Problem solved. I picked out 6 recipes and found I had all the ingredients already on hand except the meats. A quick trip to the grocery store and I was ready. Talk about simple -- I made 6 dishes in 3 hours' time. So 5 stars on delivering on fast, easy recipes. And they are mostly entrée type recipes, not just 5 ing or less side dishes. Now for taste -- wow! I can't decide which recipe is my favorite -- the chorizo/sweet potato/spinach frittata is probably my favorite so far but the Thai butternut squash stew is a close second if not tied. Oh, and the chorizo/kale sauté, and the braised chicken and tomatoes..... Now there are some recipes in here that do not interest me in the least (not a fan of oysters or sardines or squid) but to each his own. There are so many recipes that appeal to ingredients I love that I can pass on those other few. The nutrition info on just the standard mainstream vitamins and minerals based on the RDA did not really add anything to the book in my opinion. Anyone who is following Paleo would by now realize that the handful of vitamins and minerals identified by mainstream nutrionists pales in comparison to the thousands of phytochemicals the we get in eating whole, minimally processed foods. And the RDA is not really a useful number since it was based on how much of something you need to avoid getting rickets or scurvy, not what all we need for optimal health. But again, with all the fantastic recipes, that's all I really care about anyway. If you want to know that a recipe contains 100% of the RDA of vitamin A, then go for it. But overall I'm giving this book a 5 star rating b/c I see myself coming back to it again and again to create easy, simple yet delicious meals.

I really like this cookbook. There is a primer in the beginning with great tips and a quick overview of the author's journey to paleo. The majority of the book is made up of recipes. The first section is for 3 ingredient recipes, next there's a section of 4 ingredient recipes and then there's a section for 5 ingredient recipes. Lastly, there is a great chapter on dips and dressings. The index is full of great resources too.Each recipe starts with a "from the grocer" list which has made my shopping list so much easier. I just pick the recipes I plan to make and then easily make my shopping list. The recipes actually have more ingredients than the section amount BC the author doesn't count common dried herbs, spices, cooking fats and vinegars as main ingredients. She considers them pantry staples that you already have on hand. She provides a list of these in the beginning to make sure you will actually have them on hand before you get started. If she calls for a less common spice, like garam masala, saffron, etc. then she does include that as a main ingredient. There is an emphasis on micronutrient content and that info is often included at the end of the recipe along with some side notes.These recipes really simplify eating paleo without sacrificing any taste or satisfaction. Most of them are very easy and don't take much time. Most of the recipes that take more than 30ish min. are due to roasting time so it's not "active" cooking time.Overall, I highly recommend this cookbook to anyone trying paleo for the first time and paleo veterans alike. The author has a way of making these chef quality dishes feel effortless. My family is always impressed. Do yourself a favor and make your meal plan easier by buying this cookbook.

Quite disappointed in this book after reading all the glowing reviews. None of the recipes take 5 or fewer ingredients. The assumption is that you will have certain "staples" on hand. But I believe one of the 3 ingredient recipes actually lists 8 ingredients. Staples or no that is NOT a simple 3 ingredient recipe. There is a stock up list in the preamble before the recipes but some of the things on that list are just not things most people keep in the pantry. Saffron, duck fat, and wine vinegar a few examples.I also noted at least one error in the index page number listed isn't correct not a huge thing but when i pay for a book I really don't expect to find editing errors.

This is a fabulous cookbook! I have been interested in eating healthier and learning to cook with real authentic food - and this book delivered. I have been pleased with every recipe I've tried, and I feel satisfied knowing I am feeding my family wholesome and real foods. I also really enjoyed the layout and design of the book! I love browsing through it and finding new recipes to try and reading all the nutrients facts, I love the author's anecdotal recipe notes, and I love the ease of 3, 4 and 5 ingredient recipe layout. I highly recommend this cookbook, I know I am!

I am super excited for Cindy and her passion of preparing wonderful fresh and tasty meals in her first published book, Paleo Takes 5 -Or Fewer. Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to see Cindy transform herself into the passionate, happy and healthy person she is today. This book is an amazing accomplishment of the life changes she has made for herself and her family and friends. I would put this easy-to-use recipe book on all your Christmas and holiday lists. It is a must buy for yourself or a gift for family and friends. It will be your 'go-to' book for many years to come.

I have had this cookbook for about 6 months now and it's okay. I don't find myself picking this one up as much as some other Paleo cookbooks I have. The prepared meals tend to be just okay. There a a couple that I really enjoy, but several I've made have been kind of *meh*. I've noticed a couple of errors in some recipe's ingredients list (i.e. tbsp where tsp. should be) - something to watch out for.

The 3-ingredient recipes are very approachable, but the 5-ingredient ones get pretty complicated and what counts as "an ingredient" seems ro change around quite a bit. But it's a gorgeous book with a lot of variety!